Umbrella-runner.



No. "694,624,v Patented Mar. 4, i902.l

"s. .1. EVANS'. UNIBHELLA RUNNER.

I (Applicatonled Aug. 21, 1901.)

(No Model.)

' UNITE-D STATES.

OFF-ICE.

lsAMIIEL J.E'vANs, or RoAN-onn, VIRGINIA.

" M'BRELLA-RUNNER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 694,624, dated March 4, 1902.

l Applioation led August 21,1901. Serial No.- 72,734. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL J. EVANS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Roanoke, Roanoke county, Virginia, have invented certain new and useflil Improvements in Umbrellas, of which thefollowing is a speciiication.

My invention is designed to provide means whereby the runner-catch Vmay be operated' without pressing the same directly with tbe fingers.

My object is to prevent wear on the catchpoint and also to operate the catch by the same movement which is used to slide the runner along the rod. y

My invention includes Ja spring-catch-operating sleeve located upon uthe runner and having limited movement thereon and adapted to pass over a high or cam part on the spring-catch (whether upper or lower) in the movement of the runner either in opening or closing.

It also includes a special construction of the spring-catch, whereby it is adapted to be' operated by the sleeve upon the runner without contact with the locking point of the catch.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the runner with my improvement combined therewith,-t he runnerv being represented in the position assumed by it at the upper part of the rod when the umbrella is open. Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1 and with the operating device or sleeve for the catch moved into position to release the catch for closing the umbrella. Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 1 a quarter-turn therefrom. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the runner in its lowest position with the umbrella closed.

The rod a is of ordinary form and is provided with upper and lower runner catches or retainers h c of special form, as hereinafter described, Figs. 1 and 4.

The runner dhas the usual slot and is provided with shoulderse and f, between'which a sleeve gis located tohave limited movement on the` runner. The catches are of special construction, having in rear of their catchpoints h cams e', with a depression 7' between the cams and catch-points. When the umbrella is opened, as shown in Fig. 1, or closed,

the catch-point itself.

asshown in Fig. 4','the sleeve will lie between .the catch-point and the cam, and in order to operate the umbrella it is simply necessary to grasp the sleeve and press it along the runner, so that its leading edge will contact with the cam of the runner-catch and will force the said catch inwardly and disengage the catch-point from the runner, and continued pressure in this same direction will cause the runner to move along the rod, and thus operate the Y umbrella. Supposing the umbrella isbeing closed, when the runner reaches the lower end of its course the' sleeve will move over the cam of the lower catch c and assume the position between said cani and the catchpoint, and will thus permit the lower catch to operate and also be ready to operate the catch and release the runner by an upward movement of the sleeve along the runner when the umbrella is to be opened, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4.

Fig. 2 indicates the position ofthe sleve when pressed in the direction of the arrow to close the umbrella from the position shown in Fig. 1. It will be seen from this arrangement Athat the sleeve engages the cam-shoulder of the catch and at no time does it work against By this arrangement the catch-point is not worn and the construction is rendered efticient and durable and Will always present a square shoulder or bearingsurface to the runner. It will be seen also that in both the opening and closing movement of the umbrella the movement of the sleeve to operate the catch and free the runner is-inthe same direction in which the runner must move to operate the umbrella, and

Vit is simply necessary in either case to grasp vthe sleeve and press it up or down along thek irod, las isdone with theordinary runner.

' The shoulders on the runner before mentioned afford a bearing for the sleeve in operating the runner in either direction and take all the strain incident thereto. A

It will be seen from Figs. 1 and 4 that the travel of the sleeve is alwaysywithin the limits defined by the upper and lower catch-pointsthat is to say, the sleeve in'the lower position of the runner is always above the lower catchpoint and in the uppermost position of the lrunner it is always below the point of the upper catch. It never 'crosses these points nor assumes a position beyond them. I have provided also means whereby the runner is guided to present the slot therein to the catch, said means consisting of the pin k on the rod and cam shaped edges m on the runner. When the runner is forced upwardly, should it be slightly displaced circumferentially in relation tothe catch the cam edges will by engaging the pin turn the runner so as to presentthe slot therein to the catch, it being understood, as shown, that the cam edges are convergent.

By my arrangement of parts it will be seen that the catch-points are visible at the time they are about to engage the runner, not being covered by the sleeve at this time, and by this the operator will be enabled to quickly and accurately position the runner at the lower end of the rod, so that the catch will engage with the slot, and the relation of the parts is such that when said engagement takes place the umbrella will be held tightly closed and any tendency which the runner may have to rebound or retract along the rod will be resisted by the engagement of the catch-point with the end of the slot.

It will be understood that as the sleeve is flaring at its ends, forming a cam or wedging surface on the under side at both ends, the operation is the same both on the upper and lower catches, though these are reversed to cach other in position. It will also be understood that although I have specified umbrellas I use that term to cover parasols and articles of the umbrella class.

I claim as my invention- 1. In combination with a catch on the stick having a high or cam part removed from the catching-point, a runner and a sleeve thereon adapted to pass over the said cam part and to take position between the cam part and the catching-point, substantially as described.

2. The catch having a high part sloping on both sides and removed from the catchingpoint, a sleeve adapted to pass over the said cam part and to depress it, when the said sleeve moves in either direction, the said catch having a space between the cam part and the catchingpoint,wherein the sleeve normally rests, substantially as described.

3. In combination, in an umbrella, a runner, a retainer or catch on the stick to engage the runner, said retainer having a cam part between its retaining-point and its pivot, and a releasing-sleeve on'the runner movable longitudinally thereof and arranged to lie normally, when out of action between the retaining-point and the cam of the retainer, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof l aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL J. EVANS.

XVitnesses:

HENRY E. COOPER, W ALTER DONALDSON. 

